Doug Sandom: ‘Leaving The Who was the biggest mistake of my life’

While the legendary rock band celebrate 50 years in music, original drummer Doug Sandom recalls the bitter row that led him to walk away

As a member of one of the world’s most influential rock bands The Who, Doug Sandom could have been a multimillionaire rock star. Instead today the 83-year-old lives on his state pension in a two-bedroom council house just a few miles west of the sumptuous London homes occupied by his former bandmates Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.And all because of a silly argument with Townshend 50 years ago.For Doug was The Who’s original drummer long before Keith Moon came on the scene. Back then they were called The Detours, travelling in a clapped-out van to dance halls as far afield as the tenner a night they earned could fund the petrol.Within weeks of the group changing their name to The Who, Doug went his separate way after a row with Townshend during an audition for a record company.“The rest, as they say, is history,” remarks Doug who was about to sell his legendary drum kit to fund Christmas celebrations when he landed a contract to publish his memoirs The Who Before The Who.

“It would have been the saddest deal of my life,” he continues. “I keep that drum kit at the foot of my bed and kiss it every night before I go to sleep. After all it’s been on stage when we were up there as a support act to The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders, Eric Clapton’s Yardbirds… you name ’em and Pete, Rog, the Ox and me played with ’em.”The Ox was the group’s affectionate nickname for their bass player John Entwistle who died of a drug overdose in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2002. He was a regular visitor to the Sandoms’ home where he would eat a mountain of sandwiches prepared by Doug’s late wife Lily in the days when the musicians could ill afford decent food.Doug became the band’s drummer after a chance meeting with Roger Daltrey in 1962: “I thought I was going to an audition but it wasn’t happening so during a brief chat with Roger I told him I’d had a wasted journey. ‘It’s not wasted mate,’ he said. ‘Our drummer’s going on holiday so come and sit in with my band The Detours.’“I didn’t need asking twice. That Friday I turned up at Acton Town Hall and it’s there I met one who had funny hair – he turned out to be John – and a tall skinny one with a big nose, Pete. I went on for the second set and we gelled. From that night on I was the drummer.“We played all over the place, mostly songs that were hits for other people like Gerry And The Pacemakers and Cliff Richard. They were Roger’s choices, he’d formed the group so he chose what we played. That was to cause a lot of friction between him and Pete further down the road. Pete was an art college student and he favoured R&B. But I believe that friction was what subsequently made The Who the success they are today. The anger off those two came across on stage and the fans loved it. Occasionally I had to go to Pete’s rescue when tempers flared but it never came to actual fisticuffs which was just as well because Pete would have come off worst.“The band needed Pete for more than just his musical skills. His mum Betty was a professional singer and through her connections she got us quite a few gigs – she even drove us to some of them.

“But it was Roger who did most of the work. He picked me up from my home for every single gig. I was always ready and waiting which was more than could be said for Pete – Rog would often have to drag him out of bed.”

As The Detours became more successful the seven-nights-a-week gigs (and the groupies’ make-up on his shirt collar) put a strain on Doug’s marriage and Lily pressured him to quit.“After I had stepped away and they became incredibly successful, Lily did say, ‘If only I’d been more understanding we could have been rich now.’ But that was never what I wanted. I loved the fans, the music, being in the band.”As the drummer Doug had a privileged insight into the 1960s rock scene. Take the Stones.“The first night we backed them Pete went to the dressing room to begin what turned out to be a lasting friendship with Mick Jagger.”But he didn’t hit it off with everyone: “Pete said Keith Richards was arrogant. That didn’t stop him adopting the arm-swinging move Keith made when he was warming up to go on. As the windmill gesture it became our band’s trademark.”Yet just as everything seemed to be coming together for the group John Entwistle dropped a bombshell.

“We were setting up our gear when the Ox arrived and told us there was another band called The Detours and they’d already been on TV so we had to change our name. That night we all went back to a friend of Pete’s – a wonderful chap called Richard Barnes, or Barnsy, to try to find a new name.

“Barnsy initially suggested The Group and Pete favoured The Hair. Someone else suggested No One until we imagined a compere on stage saying: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome No One.’ We’d have been a laughing stock. It was Barnsy who came up with The Who. Pete tried to compromise by suggesting The Hair And The Who until it was pointed out that it made us sound like a pub. Anyway, Roger came round to mine the next day and said it was to be The Who.”

On that fateful day of the audition for Fontana Records, Doug recalls he was not in a good mood and Pete was not pleased.

“He had a terrible go at me, snarling, ‘What’s wrong with you? If you can’t get it right then you’re out.’ I just got up from my stool and said, ‘That’s it, I quit.’ It was the biggest mistake of my life. It really came home to me when I watched them on TV giving that fantastic performance at the Olympic Games and knew it could have been me up there too.”

There is a happy ending to the story, however. The others still send Doug tickets for their concerts and VIP passes for their fan club conventions where he is recognised and mobbed by autograph-hunters.

Roger, 69 – who insists the ex-drummer calls him every Sunday morning – once said: “You’re famous, Doug. You’re a legend.”

In a moving foreword to Doug’s book Pete Townshend, 68, writes: “Had we continued together back in 1964 with Doug on drums we may never have become as successful as we are today. Keith Moon was a born publicist as well as a highly eccentric performer. But I have no doubt that personally I would have been happier as a young man. Partly because I think we would have continued to put music and friendship first in our band because that was Doug’s way.

“With Doug as my friend, I believe I could have been a better man.”

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Doug Sandom: ‘Leaving The Who was the biggest mistake of my life’

While the legendary rock band celebrate 50 years in music, original drummer Doug Sandom recalls the bitter row that led him to walk away

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